Personal Prison

I wanted to offer today's post as a prayer for those who believe they have no other options.

In many parts of society, people have constructed a worldview that limits what one can do, forcing those of lesser wills (and many of those of greater) into an undesired path. For example, secular society says that the best response to unplanned pregnancy is abortion, and the second best is being a single mom. It almost ignores giving a child up for adoption, and the idea of the parents marrying for the sake of their child is considered absurd (if considered at all).

There are many such examples, spanning all the reaches of life. There are millions every day who feel they have no other options and do what they do not wish to, simply because no one has offered them an out.

With God, there are always options, if nothing more than the freedom of Christ and his power to endure whatever must be done. Let us today remember those who feel trapped and pray the receive the light to see Christ's hope for them.



Glorious Saint Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet. I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne of God.
To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me.
Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor.
Inspire me to imitate you in all things.
May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom.

Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life.
Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you.
I therefore invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore.

Pray for us that we may be given the insight of God and intercede for us so that the path of others is not forced on us against the better will of the Father.

Help me, great Saint Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven.
Amen.